Ville Valo

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Ville Valo
Background information
Birth name	Ville Hermanni Valo
Born	(1976-11-22) 22 November 1976 (age 36)
Origin	Helsinki, Finland
Genres	Rock (see HIM's genre)
Occupations	Musician, singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, bass, drums, piano, keyboards
Years active	1991–present
Labels	Razor & Tie (U.S.), DoubleCross (U.K.), Universal (E.U.)
Associated acts	HIM, Daniel Lioneye, Cradle Of Filth
Website	www.heartagram.com

Ville Hermanni Valo (born November 22, 1976) is a Finnish singer, songwriter, artist, and multi instrumentalist. He is the frontman of the Finnish rock band HIM. Valo has a baritone voice type^[1] and has maintained a wide vocal range throughout his career.^[2]

He has received the "Golden God" award in 2004 from the heavy metal magazine Metal Hammer. Valo was ranked number 80 in Hit Parader's 'Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time'.^[3]

[edit] Early life and influences

Ville Hermanni Valo was born in the Vallila district of Helsinki. His father, Kari, is Finnish and his mother, Anita, is of Hungarian descent.^[4] Soon after his birth, the family moved to the riverside community of Oulunkylä where they lived throughout his teenage years. In 1984 his younger brother and only sibling Jesse was born.^[5] In his late teens, he worked at his father's sex shop^[6] and later moved out on his own when he was 18.

As a child, Valo was exposed to the songs of popular Finnish performers such as Tapio Rautavaara and Rauli Badding Somerjoki. In various interviews he has cited his favorite artists include King Diamond, Elvis Presley, Neil Young,^[7] and Dir En Grey, as well as bands such as Fields of the Nephilim,^[8][9] The Sisters of Mercy, Black Sabbath,^[7][10][11] Type O Negative,^[9][12] Depeche Mode, Iron Maiden, Kiss, and The Stooges. Valo is frontman of the Finnish rock band HIM. They became the first and only Finnish rock band to achieve a gold record (more than 500,000 copies) in the United States. Valo was also the drummer for the Daniel Lioneye project which featured HIM's guitarist Linde Lindström on vocals/lead guitar and Migé Amour on bass. In May of 2007, Valo went to a rehab facility called "Promises" in Malibu, California to drop his alcoholism. He currently resides in Helsinki.^[13]

[edit] Equipment

[edit] Guitars

Ville has played several acoustic guitars for promotional videos and appearances, as well as on stage. He has an affinity for Gibson acoustics, owning several known examples. These include a sunburst Hummingbird and at least three J-200s, including an electric model that he was recently seen playing onstage through a Laney Lionheart 4x10 half stack at the Helldone Festival 2012. He also played a Takamine 12-string acoustic on the promotional tour for Razorblade Romance.^[14]

In 2003 HIM played Top of the Pops, but Linde had to fly back to Finland to witness his daughter's birth. Ville filled in on guitar, miming on Linde's cherry Gibson Flying V.^[15]

[edit] Microphones

Valo has used Shure SM58 and Shure Beta 58A microphones for most of his career, but during the 2010 Screamworks tour he was seen using a Sennheiser E965 condenser microphone.^[16] In photos of the 2012 Tavastia shows, Ville is shown to be using a Shure SM58 again. ^[17]

[edit] Tattoos

Ville Valo is well known for his tattoos, some of which have been done by Kat Von D during his time in California. His tattoos include:

[edit] Arms

• A heart on his inner right wrist which has since been filled in to say the words "C:1:1-3 DILLIGAF When I Love... I Love". (Original tattoo 1998, filled in 2005-2006)^[18]
• Portrait of Finnish writer Timo K. Mukka on his inner right forearm. (2005)
• Portrait of French poet Charles Baudelaire on his outer right wrist. (2006)
• Portrait of American author Charles Bukowski on outer right forearm. (2007)
• Stylised boxes spelling out "Venus Doom", from the album of the same name. (2007)
• Hourglass with wings over the French word "HERMITE" meaning "hermit", with an eye underneath. (2009)
• A full sleeve of vines matching the heartagram on his stomach on a black background on his left arm. (1998-1999)^[19]

[edit] Torso

• A heartagram stylised with vines. (1998)^[20]
• The eyes of Edgar Allan Poe across his upper back. (2005)
• A portrait of Maya Deren on his right breastplate which covers a previous tattoo, the word "Mäy". (Original tattoo 2006, portrait 2009)
• A portrait of Klaus Kinski on the right side of his navel. (2009)
• A unicursal hexagram styled heartagram over his right kidney on his lower back. (2009)
• A heartagram with filigree around his left nipple, used to cover a script 'S' for his ex-girlfriend Susanna. (Original tattoo 1999, cover-up 2005)

[edit] Legs

• The egyptian symbol 'Wedja', meaning 'prosperity' or 'well-being', on his left calf. (2001)^{[21] [22]}
• The image dubbed "Cosmic Pope" from the sleeve of HIM's third album Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights on his right calf. (2001)^[23]
• Ville has also stated his intentions to practise tattooing himself and to one day have his legs filled in with his own work.

[edit] Other

• A heartagram at the base of his neck. (1999-2000)^[24]
• The word "N'idiot" on his left buttock, tattooed by Kat Von D one drunken night. Matches with Bam Margera's. (2005-2006)
• The letter 'J' for his ex-fiance, Finnish television presenter Jonna Nygren, on his left ring finger. It has since been burnt off with cigarette embers. (2005)

[edit] Films and TV

Ville is close friends with CKY, Jackass and Viva La Bam star Bam Margera, who shares many of Valo's tattoos. Ville can be seen in the movies CKY3, Jackass Number Two and Bam Margera Presents: Where the #$&% Is Santa?, which includes the whole band playing "Dead Lover's Lane". Valo can also be seen in four episodes of Viva La Bam (S1E5, S3E4, S4E1, S5E8). Valo also portrayed Jim Morrison in the 69 Eyes music video "Wasting The Dawn". He also voices the character of Moto Moto in the Finnish dub of Madagascar 2.^[25]

[edit] HIM and other side projects

Valo in 2007.

Main articles: HIM (Finnish band) and HIM discography

• Skreppers(1995)
• Apocalyptica(1996)
• The 69 Eyes(1997)
• Tehosekoitin(1999)
• The 69 Eyes(1999)
• Neljä Ruusua & HIM (1999)
• Agents- Paratiisi, Jykevää On Rakkaus, Ikkunaprinsessa, Valo Yössä (Tuomari Nurmio Cover) (1999)
• Tributti Tuomari Nurmio: Ville Valo & Others (2000)
• The 69 Eyes(2000)
• Musta Paraati, Ville Ville Valo, Gas Lipstick & Others (2001)
• Daniel Lioneye And The Rollers/Daniel Lioneye And The Blues Explosion (2001)
• The 69 Eyes & Thulsa Doom (2001)
• Five Fifteen- The Prostitute & Season Of The Witch (2001)
• The 69 Eyes(2002)
• The Skreppers, Ville Valo, Migé Amour & Lily Lazer (2002)
• The Mission(2002)
• Lowemotor Corporation- Love Me (2003/2004)
• The Skreppers(2004)
• The 69 Eyes- Beneath the Blue (2004)
• Apocalyptica & Lauri Ylönen - Bittersweet (2004) (FIN: #1, D: #6)
• Two Witches- Dracula Rising (2005)
• Bloodhound Gang - Something Diabolical (2005)
• Isabelle's Gift - If I Die Tonight (2006)
• Cradle of Filth - The Byronic Man (2006)
• Daniel Cavanagh - Inner silence(Acoustic)(2006)
• Ville Valo & Tommi Viksten - Kun Minä Kotoani Läksin (2006)
• Kari Tapio- Täällä Pohjantähden Alla (2006)
• Ville Valo & Natalia Avelon - Summer Wine (2007) (FIN: #1, D: #2, AU: #4, CH: #2, GR: #1)
• Ville Valo & Mariam "Manna Lindström" Jäntti - Just for Tonight (2007)
• Dani Filth - Untitled (Tribute to Black Sabbath) (2010)
• Anathema - Angels Walk Among Us (2010)

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official website of HIM
• Italian HIM website of HIM
• Ville Valo at Notable Names Database
• Ville Valo at Internet Movie Database
• Ville Valo interview on SuicideGirls 2007
• German HIM Fanclub